Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations managing fish populations

Eastland -- Digging up old data. I have lots of fishery literature about topics that interest me. I have been collecting these since the 1960's. This data was from an AFS special publ. about New approaches to Mgmt of Small Impoundments.

Subsequent management techniques when the top end bass reach 16"-18" will depend on your goals. Good management always involves monitoring relative weights and condition factors. These data are how the bass talk to you. One just has to be smart enough to understand their language.

This topic should have some additional input from guys such as B.Lusk, Shawn, G.Grimes and a couple others actively involved in managing bass populations. I don't consider my self a true expert with lots of field experience on tis topic. These other guys are all probably real busy now with field activities. If you really want a full spectrum of advice about this topic make yourself a calender note and bring or dig this thread back up this winter when they are active here.

Here's my brief opinion. B.Lusks book, Trophy Largemouths, should also cover this topic. 1. If you are happy catching quite a few 2 to 4 lb bass then selective harvest most all bass caught over 19"-20". This will cause the population to be dominated by 2 to 4 lb fish. Also monitor the forage so bgill are common in the 5"-7" range. This keeps this 16"-18" group of bass well fed. 2. If your goal is bass over 5 lbs then accept you will catch fewer but larger bass then harvest all or lots of bass less than 12" or 13" and probably a few 14" to 16" each year. Bass over 4 lbs - 6 lbs will probably need additonal larger sized forage speices than just bgill such as shad or shiners. The big bass will also be eating some of the smaller 8"-10" bass.

Managing for a constant supply of fewer trophy bass will probably need in additon to keeping good paper records of catches & fish body condtions, an occasional professional survey to monitor the status of the fishery. The survey will help get a better estimate of numbers of bass in each size group. So the harvest can be fine tuned and help to keep the proper number & sizes of well fed bass present.